She moved closer to the center of the room, skirting the chair where Johanna had resumed her roost.
“Why would it be so hard to believe I could not instill a sense of urgency in the duke?” She hadn’t meant to ask the question, and she should never have asked it so forcefully of her poor sister. Not Louisa anyway. Louisa had not a single mean bone in her entire body.
So why was Eliza suddenly so defensive?
Louisa’s smile tipped to one side. “Urgency?” She took an eager step toward Eliza. “Is that what you felt with the duke? Oh, you must explain.”
Viv leaned back in the sofa to peer up at her. “Urgency? What sort of urgency?”
This time Eliza shook her head for all to see, holding up her hands as if to physically stop the questions. “This is getting out of hand. I hadn’t meant any urgency at all.”
“Well, that’s good to hear as the duke is quite urgent in his request.”
All eyes flew to the door.
They had not heard the door open or Andrew enter as they had been too busy arguing, or rather not arguing, with one another.
The very air slipped from Eliza’s lungs like a scared pup, and she was left with a mouth hanging half open on a sentence she could no longer remember.
Viv came to her feet. “He’s asked for her hand then.”
Andrew slid her a glance, but his eyes returned to Eliza without pause. “If you would excuse us, I must speak with Eliza in private.”
Johanna stepped up behind her. “I think we should stay.” She put her hand on Eliza’s shoulder, drawing a small growl from Henry.
Eliza quickly patted his head to let him know it was all right, but it needn’t matter. Andrew was adamant.
“I think not. I wish to speak to Eliza privately. For her sake.”
Viv gestured to Louisa and Johanna. “Come then, ladies. We mustn’t keep the duke waiting.”
Louisa maintained eye contact with her brother as she dragged her feet in the direction of the door while Johanna was a little more obvious about it.
She stepped up to Andrew and poked him in the chest. “You better do what’s right by Eliza, dear brother.” She didn’t wait for a reply and followed Louisa out the door.
Viv never moved.
Henry whined next to her, and Eliza put her hand on his head, unsure herself.
Andrew tilted his head. “Viv?”
She blinked. “Surely you don’t mean to make me leave as well?”
Andrew returned his gaze to Eliza, his gaze steady, studying. “I do mean. This is Eliza’s future. Not yours.”
Viv squared her shoulders. “But I may offer some assistance—”
“Out.” The single word was a bark, and as Andrew had never been the barking sort, Viv left without another word.
The door clicked shut. Such a simple sound to mark Eliza’s fate.
She removed her hand from Henry’s head, not wanting to tear out the poor dog’s fur unknowingly as she heard what Andrew had to say.
“The Duke of Ashbourne has requested your hand in marriage.”
That was about what she expected him to say and still—her heart sped up a bit.
She’d known since Viv had returned to Ravenwood House that her fate was unerringly being pushed in the direction of marriage, but she never believed it would happen so quickly.
And with the Jilted Duke no less.
“I see,” she said because it appeared as though Andrew wished for a response.
“He offers a favorable agreement and has accepted the terms of your dowry.” The way he said it made her sound as though he’d negotiated with Ashbourne over how to divvy up the parts of a prized steer.
Eliza could have done worse.
“Well, then it’s all arranged, I should think.” While the words slipped from her lips with ease, her mind raced, poking at the dark recesses, searching, prodding, for…something.
They were determining her future right at that very moment, and her mind was an utter blank.
All she could remember was how the Duke of Ashbourne smelled.
How he had touched her.
How he had attempted to hide a smile from her.
She knew better than to hope that one day he may love her. Men did not fall in love with women like Eliza. But perhaps one day she may find contentment. And that was far greater than anything she could have hoped for only just yesterday.
Andrew drew closer to her. He was tall as their father had been but he had their mother’s coloring. Soft browns, deep eyes, and a wide smile.
In a startling flash, she realized Andrew just might be a catch for some other debutante that season. It made her smile at the thought.
But then Andrew spoke. “You know I would never agree to this without your consent, Eliza, and I must say—” He stopped as if he’d run out of words entirely.
“The Jilted Duke is an odd choice for a marriage partner?” she suggested.
Andrew frowned. “To put it plainly.”
This did make her smile as Andrew was singularly the most irritated family member when it came to her wit.
“I would agree it is rather unorthodox, but aside from the business with his previous attempt at a proposal, I should say the Duke of Ashbourne is respectable, well liked in his circles, and an exemplarily member of Parliament.”
Andrew cocked an eyebrow. “You know of his record in Parliament?”
She gave an aborted wave. “I’ve read of him in the papers, of course.”
Andrew did not like his sisters reading the papers either, and this drew a deeper frown from him. It wasn’t that Andrew did not think his sisters were entitled to be well informed and educated. Rather he feared his sisters being well informed and educated as any smart man would.
“So then you are inclined to accept his proposal?” The skepticism was not missed in his voice.
Something glided over her then, like a soft blanket tossed over a sleeping child, falling to cover its form in a silent shield of slumber. Inevitability. That was what it was. In that instance she could see her whole life spread out before her, neatly planned and determined by her simple acceptance of the Duke of Ashbourne’s suit.
If it were so simple, why was her stomach twisted about itself?
Sandalwood.
He smelled of sandalwood.
But there was something else there.
For a blinding moment, it occurred to her she could very well fall in love with the Duke of Ashbourne based only on his scent.
It was a ludicrous idea but once thought it was there.
She had no business falling in love with the man. He would never love her, and it would only cause her pain.
But was the pain of being unloved worse than the pain of being utterly alone?
She looked at Henry.
Never alone. Not when she had Henry.
She raised her eyes to Andrew. “Yes. Yes, I am inclined to accept his proposal.”
Andrew didn’t move right away. It was as if he cataloged his thoughts as he stood there before her. He must have reached a satisfactory conclusion for he stepped back, gave a neat bow.
“I shall send Ashbourne in then to speak with you directly as is our custom.”
She smiled, grateful that the Darby men considered the feelings of the women in their family when it came to matters directly affecting them.
Andrew stopped his retreat, turned back, and pulled her into an unexpected hug. While their family was close, they weren’t ones to engage in physical affection, and the gesture surprised her. It was a beat before she remembered to fold her arms around him. He backed up nearly as quickly as he’d come and left.